McCain Consultant Is Tied
To Work for Ukraine Party

Political Group
Had Opposed
Pro-Western Bloc

By

Mary Jacoby and

Glenn R. Simpson

Updated May 14, 2008 11:59 p.m. ET

A consultant to Sen. John McCain hired a public-relations firm last year to burnish the U.S. image of a Ukrainian political party backed by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to documents filed with the Justice Department.

The lobbying firm of Davis Manafort Inc. arranged for the public-relations firm's work through an affiliate last spring, at the same time Davis Manafort was being paid by the Republican presidential...